| One
of the most important things to master when you are learning
how to draw is perspective; it is also one of the most difficult.
In this primer the author and various other artists show how
to get the better of it and thus improve your skills.
This is not the sort of book to breeze through in a short
time; to get the best out of it you will need to read it through
more than once. There are practical exercises to try out,
lots of diagrams and descriptions of what is going on to work
through. Some mathematical skills are a great help. After
a brief history of perspective use in art, the author explains
the different types and then dedicates a chapter to each of
them. One, two and three-point perspective, multi and curvilinear
are all explored, and finally there is a workbook to try it
all out. Each chapter is divided into four sections with a
page of explanations at the front to show how to use it. Seeing
it, understanding it, applying it and how-to sequence are
the section headings. There is plenty to look at and plenty
to read. A slightly thicker and larger font would have been
easier on the eye here as the print is small and thin, but
there is a lot to get in with these complex topics. Several
pages of diagrams, grids, drawings and photos with captions
show how it all works, and turning to the back, there are
blank grids with links for downloading so you can have a go.
I found this to be the best part, as all that wee print and
involved drawing was useful, but I personally got more out
of it all after I had had a go myself. This is not surprising,
perhaps, as art is a practical subject, and if you are looking
for an exhaustive guide to perspective this is a good choice.
If you cannot find a good range of drawing materials locally
try www.searchpress.com
for a list of suppliers.
|
